Apparatus for delivering a fluid into a furnace



March 27, 1951 J, 1 WYANDT ET AL 2,546,937

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING A FLUID INTO A FURNACE Filed Jan. 7, 1949 INVENTORS `TOHN J3 WYANDT :f/VES K-MC/(VE'Y A T TOP/VEYS Patented Mar. 27, 1951 vENT GFFECE APPARATUS FOR D'LIVERING A FLUID INTO A FURNACE John J. Wyandt, Canton, and J ames K. McKelvey, Massillon, Ohio, assignors to Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application January 7, 1949, Serial No. 69,752

(Cl. 2GB-34) 4 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to the art of handling and mixing fluids and is more particularly concerned with novel and very useful and economical apparatus for delivering a fluid in jet form into contact with a relatively large body of molten metal. l

This invention is addressed to the problem of delivering oxygen into molten steel in an electric furnace or an open hearth furnace. Despite the advantages of increased production rates and fuel savings to be gained through the use of elemental oxygen in such steel processing furnaces, the operation has not, to the best of my knowledge, been successfully carried out on a commercial scale prior to the present invention. This failure of the art to use oxygen and obtain the advantages which it offers is attributable in substantial part to the fact that no suitable lance means has heretofore been developed. Oneof the principal shortcomings of the lances of the art has been their inability to withstand for any reasonable length of time the eifects of the high temperatures obtaining in steel processing furnaces. Suitable means of supporting and positioning the lances has also been a problem in this connection.

These difculties can, by virtue of this invention, now be fully met and disposed of in an economical and very practical manner. Furthermore, the devices hereof are easily constructed and capable of serving effectively over heretofore impossibly long periods in close proximity to high temperature masses. Additionally, when maintenance, replacement or repair is necessary upon these devices, it can be effected easily and quickly and at small material and labor cost. The supporting structure for the lance of this invention, furthermore, is so .designed and constructed that it may be secured directly to the furnace in a temporary or permanent manner and the lance may be disposed at any of a number of levels with respect to the furnace melt by adjustment of such supporting structure, the security of the lance being assured at al1 times regardless of its position. The advantages of convenience and safety consequently are uniquely combined in this structure of our invention.

Upon consideration of the drawings accompanying and forming a of this specification and the following detailed description of the present invention in a preferred form, those skilled in the art will detect still further desirable characteristics and advantages of this invention and will gain a clearer understanding of its salient features.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view partly in section of a lance and lance supporting structure embodying the present invention; v

Figure 2 is an elevational View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged side elevational view partly in section of the lance shown in Fig. 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the leading or nozzle end of the lance of Fig. 1.

The illustrated lance comprises a nested tube assembly which includes an inner tube I0 having an externally threaded inlet end l l, an inten mediate tube l2 surrounding the tube il! over a portion of its length but stopping short of the ends thereof and having an externally threaded end portion I3 adjacent to the inlet end i i of the inner tube. An outer or casing tube I5 extends a short distance beyond the outlet end of tube Ill and terminates at its other end short of, 'but near, the threaded end of tube i2. Tube il] be connected to a suitable source of oxygen (not shown) by means (also not shown) such as a conduit and coupling joined to threaded end il. The threaded end of tube I2 may be connected to a stuffing box (not shown) of conventional form to allow for expansion of the inner tube under the influence of the heat of the furnace in which the lance is used.

Adjacent to their outlet ends, tube Iii, l2 and l5 are turned off at an angle of about 60 degrees to their longer sections so that oxygen may readily be delivered generally downwardly into a molten bath while the major portion of the lance is disposed substantially horizontally.

Adjacent to the threaded end of tube l2, an inlet opening il is provided through which cooling water may be delivered when the lance is in use, a short length of pipe I8 being welded to the tube around said opening to facilitate connection of tube Il to a suitable source (not shown) of cooling fluid under pressure. An outlet opening 2i) for the cooling water is in turn provided in tube I5 adjacent to its cold end and again a pipe 2l is secured to tube I5 around said opening to facilitate transference of water from within the lance to a receiving vessel (not shown) Spacers 25 and it comprising metal lugs are tack welded to tube lil and l2, respectively, and bear against opposing surface portions of tubes i2 and I5, respectively. The said tubes 4thereby are held in uniform spaced relation throughout their lengths, tube l2 and l5 being disposed apart approximately twice as far as tubes il) and l2. In order that the Vflow of cooling water through the lance can be as free and rapid as necessary to protect the lance from the heat to which it ordinarily will be subjected in use, spacers 25 and 2b are limited in size and number as far as pos sible and are arranged in staggered relation.

At the nozzle end oi tube I acopper plug 39 having a threaded axial aperture 3l is disposed, closing the opening defined in said end of the tube and receiving in the inner end of aperture 3l the outlet end of pipe il). Plug 3! is brazed to the tubes le and i5, the latter bearing against an annular shoulder dened by the outer peripheral portion of the plug. A replaceable tube S5, preferably of steel but suitably of other metal of suiciently high melting point for the purpose, such as copper, is secured to the nested tube assembly, having an externally threaded end portion 3S screwed into aperture 3l of plug Sil. This nozzle tube 35 is preferably of the same internal diameter as tube ID and cooperates therewith to denne a substantially continuous passageway of uniform diameter. The outside surface of the leading or nozzle portion of the nested tube as-y sembly, as Well as of tube 35, is provided with a coat 35 of asbestos or refractory cement for heat insulating purposes. y

The lance supporting structure mentioned above comprises a bracket lil having a bifurcated lower portion 4l and a transversely extending, outwardly projecting ange #i3 on its upper portion. Flange 43 is apertured to receive pins or bolts 46 secured, as by welding, to the flange so that the bracket may be fastened or hung temporarily on a furnace. On the opposite side of the bracket from iiange i3 are a pair of spaced apart, opposed, longitudinally extending `flanges 45, the lower portions of which are provided with a plurality of slots 48 registered in pairs to re ceive a pin 5D serving as an axle for a grooved pulley wheel 5| on which the lance may bear, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus, the lance may be run forward or drawn back from the furnace without lifting effort on the part of the attendant, and when the position of the lance is to be shifted, Wheel 5l with its axle Si! may be with drawn from its original position and placed in another pair of registered apertures to provide the desired increase or decrease in elevation of nozzle tube 35, the lance as a whole being retained in the bracket and shifted from one position to another as Wheel 5| is moved to obtain the desired results.

Having thus described the present invention so that those skilled in the art may be able to understand and practice the same, we state that what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for delivering a fluid into contact with molten metal in a furnace comprising a nested tube assembly including an inner tube communicating with a source of said huid under pressure and havinga discharge end, and an intermediate tube and an outer tube communicating with each other adjacent to said discharge end and with a source of cooling fluid under pressure and a discharge line respectively, said discharge end of the inner tube being within the outer tube and outside the intermediate tube, a plurality of spacers between the intermediate tube and the inner and outer tubes and holding the tubes in predetermined, substantially uniform, spaced relation throughout the length of said assembly, a

nose piece bearing against and closing the end of the outer tube, said nose piece having an axial portion extending into said outer tube and having a threaded transverse aperture receiving in fluidtight engagement the discharge end of said inner tube, and a nozzle tube having an externally threaded end screwed into said threaded aper ture to receive fluid from said inner tube.

2. Apparatus for delivering a iiuid into contact with molten metal in a furnace comprising a rigid nested tube assembly including an inner tube communicating with a source of said fluid under pressure, said inner tube having a discharge end portion defining an included angie of about with the principal axis of the tube, an outer tube of substantially increased diameter having an end portion enclosing the discharge end of the inner tube and extending at an angle of about 120 to the principal axis of the outer tube, an intermediate tube communicating with the outer tube adjacent to said discharge end and With a source of cooling iiuid under pressure, said intermediate tube having an end portion terminating within the outer tube and adjacent to the discharge end of the inner tube and dening an angle of about 120 with the axes oi the principal portions of said other tubes, a plurality of spacers disposed between and engaging said intermediate and inner and outer tubes, a cylindrical nose piece welded to and closing the end of the outer tube, said piece having a threaded axial aperture and an axially extending portion of reduced diameter receiving in uid-tight engagement the discharge end of said inner tube, and a rigid nozzle pipe having an externally threaded end screwed into said axial aperture to receive uid from said inner tube.

3. Apparatus for delivering a iiuid into contact with molten metal in a furnace comprisinga tubular lance through which said fluid may be conducted to said molten metal, means` for supporting and positioning the lance relative to said metal including a vertically adjustable rotatable wheel on which the lance may run and a frame straddling and supporting said wheel, and means associated with said frame for securing the frame to the said furnace in position for delivery of iluid through the lance into molten metal in the furnace.

4. Apparatus for delivering a uid into contact with molten metal in a furnace comprising a nested tube assembly including an inner tube communicating with a source of said fluid under pressure and having a discharge end, and an intermediate tube and an outer tube communicating with each other adjacent to said discharge end and with a source of cooling uid under pressure and a discharge line respectively, said discharge end of the inner tube being Within the outer tube and outside the intermediate tube, a plurality of spacers between the intermediate tube and the inner and outer tubes and holding the tubes in predetermined, substantially uniform, spaced relation throughout the length of said assembly, and a nose piece bearing against and closing the end of the outer tube, said nose piece having an axial portion extending into said outer tube and having a threaded transverse aperture receiving in fluid-tight engagement the discharge end of said inner tube.

JOHN J. WYANDT. JAMES K. MCKELVEY.

(References on following page) 5 A REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this pla/Gent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,220,343 Kimball Mar. 27, 1917 1,376,935 Griggs May 3, 1921 1,384,224 Allison et al July 12, 1921 6 Number Name Date 1,414,438 Smith et al. May 2, 1922 2,169,948 Gallupe Aug. 15, 1939 2,446,511 Kerry et al Aug. 3, 1948 OTHER REFERENCES Iron Age, Oxygen Jet Speeds' Openhearth Steel Output, June 19, 1947, pages 75 and '76. 

